Romney struggles to connect

Mitt Romney was born in Michigan, went to high school in Michigan, married a woman from Michigan and called the state home until he left for graduate school in 1971. His father became an iconic hero in the state for saving an auto company in the ’60s — a feat that catapulted him to the governor’s mansion. Not long ago, Romney’s brother sat on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.

The name Romney means something in Michigan, which is why Republican Party leaders counted on this favorite son landing an unambiguous win in Tuesday’s primary and effectively ending the chaotic GOP nominating season.

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Now some of these Republicans are worried that the same issue that has plagued Romney from state to state is even more pronounced in his own backyard: his inability to connect on a human, personal level. If he can’t connect in his birthplace, they fret, maybe he can’t connect anywhere.

“It’s a blue collar state and Romney is not blue collar. He’s like a stranger in a strange land,” said Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee who has not endorsed a candidate. “Where was his local grocery store? Where are his schools? Is he connected to the poor neighborhoods? These are the pieces that link someone to a community. And you don’t have to be poor to make those connections.”

As much as Romney tries to emphasize his roots in the state at campaign stops, he rarely talks about people or sentimental memories from his early Michigan life — except for fond references to his parents - and when he does, it often comes off as awkward or disjointed.

Appearing at a Tea Party sponsored event in Milford Thursday night, Romney fondly recalled the name of his kindergarten, but then abruptly pivoted from elementary school memories to how Obama was denying America’s promise to today’s youth — and never mentioned any personal memories.

At a recent “Welcome Home” rally in Grand Rapids, Romney told the crowd, “I’m just delighted to be back in Michigan to see some old friends.” Speaking of high school friends, he noted, “There are a lot of high-schoolers here. … This really does bring back memories.” But he never said what those memories were — or mentioned the friends by name.

Last week he was widely ridiculed for talking about his home state robotically — in terms of its greenery. “I love this state,” he told the crowd. “I was born and raised here. … The trees are the right height. I like seeing the lakes. I love the lakes. I love cars.”